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Changes

It’s that time of year again, where individuals are trying to make that annual commitment to getting in shape, getting more life balance, or a myriad of other well intentioned changes. What about your business, if you own one, or the business where you work and are part of a team? Are you making or pushing for changes there?

At Identity Works, we will hit our twentieth year in business later this summer. I can tell you, one aspect of going into business that I did not initially think about was the pace of change that would occur and be required – not only in our business and marketplace – but the world in general. Those first few years I naively thought I would get initial processes done, work to communicate to our prospects how we were different, and we would just have to stay out there gaining new business after that.

I learned very quickly that we would never be “done” creating our business. and, In fact, if we wanted to be competitive, we would have to constantly change what we do and how we do it. The wave of change just keeps accelerating, so you better actively learn to surf or that wave is just going to pass right over you.

You bring the most value to an organization when you think creatively on new ways to move your organization forward, contribute to the debate on how to best implement those changes, and then work proactively to get them done just as quickly as possible. In today’s world, this “creative destruction” has to be part of every organization’s DNA or your position in the marketplace will suffer.

There have been many references to David Bowie with his passing this month. Being that I often try to bring in a musical artist and song to help make my point in this blog, David Bowie is the perfect artist to do that this month. I think of David Bowie as the Andy Warhol of music. There may be no other artist in music that so proactively worked to reinvent himself and make sure his music was always experimenting and pushing against the status quo. David Bowie’s brand really became change. You expected it to be different, and that constant and purposeful push to be the creator of change in his world kept him relevant and on the cutting edge for forty years in music. RESPECT to you on that, David Bowie. Well done. That is tough to do. Another benefit to being a change maker is that you don’t have to work at politicking. Change makers are naturally respected and rewarded, as their value to the organization and team stands on its own without the need for ego to get involved. That makes a workplace all that more enjoyable to operate in, when the creative exchange of ideas and the implementation of those innovations are where the energy is invested. Note the word “invested,” as when you operate in this mode you find yourself with even more energy as the team dynamic builds on itself. It becomes a multiplier of energy and satisfaction.

So take a page from David Bowie when it comes to business and your place on your team. Be a proactive and humble creator of change. Just like David Bowie, you will ensure that you have a long and rewarding path ahead of you.

“Rebel Rebel” would have also been a great choice for this topic as I believe the most successful organizations have a strong measure of rebel in them, but this time I give you “Changes” by David Bowie. Enjoy: